Why does carbohydrate fermentation in the gut lead to gas production and bloating, rather than efficient energy absorption?

💡 Explanation

The gut microbiome ferments undigested carbohydrates because humans lack enzymes to fully break them down. This fermentation pathway produces gases like hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide, therefore causing bloating, rather than efficient absorption, which occurs in the small intestine where enzymatic digestion is primary.

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